Coimbra University, founded in 1290, is the oldest institution of higher learning in the Portuguese-speaking world. Its recognition as a WHS links it to the city as an example of an integrated campus. The core part of the university high up on a hill above town feels like a standalone monument complex, though. The focal point, Pátio das Escolas, is home to the Royal Palace, the university tower, the main university chapel of Saõ Miguel, and the university library.

They are all worth visiting if you go for the "Program 1" combo ticket (ascending the tower requires a small additional fee). The Royal Palace housed the core university spaces from the reign of João III onward; the 16th century monarch greatly expanded the Portuguese possessions abroad as well as made Coimbra into a leading center of learning by establishing a new college of liberal arts and bringing to it many of the Portuguese scholars of the time. There are a few impressive rooms inside, of which the most impressive might be the Great Hall of Acts. The Chapel of Saint Michael, in the west wing of the architectural ensemble of the plaza, is incredibly tiled and decorated. The tower views are not breathtaking, but anyone who generally enjoys going to elevated viewpoints will likely enjoy getting to the top.

The biggest jewel in the university complex is the Biblioteca Joanina. It takes effort to see – entry is at timed intervals and advance ticket sales do not exist to my knowledge, so when you buy your combo ticket you will need to agree a specific time later in the day to enter the library, with a fair chance of it being sold out if you come too late on a busy day – but it is certainly worth it, being an incredible masterpiece of both the art and the pursuit of knowledge. Photography on the Noble Floor is not permitted. You can take pictures in the archives and the former academic prison on the lower levels.

Program 1 also includes a Science Museum in a different part of the campus, which we did not find time to see.

Beyond the central plaza, the university has a very mid-20th-century feel. Some of the statuary inexplicably reminds me of the "triumphant proletariat" edifices that I grew up with.

A number of non-university sights in Coimbra are worth checking out (most of them are included on the WH inscription anyway, along the lines of the "integrated university town"). The Old Cathedral is by turns spartan and opulent, with a nicely understated cloister. The New Cathedral has several blindingly rich altars, although on balance it is not too special in my book. The 18th-century Botanic Garden is pleasant enough but probably looks prettier when flowers are in bloom (we visited in mid-April). The church of Santa Cruz, in the heart of the town by the foot of the university hill, may be the most impressive of all the churches in town, with the amazing Baroque organ and gorgeous azulejo tiles all around the main nave. The tombs of the first two kings of Portugal are also here in this church. Behind it is a visually arresting and yet comparatively quiet Manga Cloister.

The area of Sofia Street, where the newer part of the university is clustered, is just ok. Although WH inscription explicitly names this area, none of the buildings here stand out from the rest (which is both the testament to the integration of the university into the city and a bit of a visual disappointment).

Coimbra is situated roughly halfway between Lisbon and Porto. It feels that the city attractions can support a day-and-a-half stay here, but a day-trip from either of the major cities is also possible.